Love of the Dark
by Yami Alchemist
Summary: Yugi thought he was going crazy. There was no way around it. Atem was gone to the afterlife, unable to ever come back to this world. So why did it seem like he kept seeing him every time he turned around? Why did it seem like he could feel him? Fate always liked to turn Yugi's world upside down and life just got a little more weird for him. YYxY, Yaoi! Don't like don't read!
1. Chapter 1

I know this is a new story and I really should be working on the others I have. I do have some chapters that I plan on submitting for my other stories. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this one!

I do NOT own Yugioh. If I did I would be rich.

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><p>Love of the Dark<p>

Chapter 1

"_Close your eyes… so many days go by…" Dance with the Devil – Breaking Benjamins_

He was going crazy, he just knew it. Or at least… he thought he was going crazy. Weird things were happening to him and he couldn't quite explain it. Things should be normal and quiet now, not… not how they were. It only started recently too. Nothing obvious or easily noticed if he wasn't looking for it. Just… little things. Like the picture of his friends being moved in a certain way that he was sure he didn't do. The deck of dueling cards that he carefully put away and no longer used would appear on his desk, the Dark Magician sitting innocently on top. The star pajamas that he used to wear but grew out of would make their way out of his closet into his room and he was sure it wasn't him or his grandfather that put them there. He couldn't figure out the why or the how of it, but there had to be some kind explanation for what was going on around him.

Didn't there?

Shaking his head, he turned back around and started walking again toward the game shop. It was his imagination, he decided. There was no way he saw _him_ just now. He was on his way home after finishing school for the day. Joey and the others were all scheduled for their turns to help clean the school, but he wasn't. There was no point going to the arcade or out for food all by himself… He didn't really feel like going anyway, so it was probably a good thing that they were all stuck at school. It was a year to the day since _he_ left and Yugi couldn't bring himself to even say _his_ name. He still felt like there was an empty hole in his soul that was once occupied by the person he so easily called mou hitori no boku. Today, of all days, he felt the emptiness all the more

He kept his eyes on the ground as he fought back the wave of memories that he felt wash over him. Every place he went nowadays only served as a reminder of _him_. It wasn't that he regretted everything that happened over the years. He was thrilled when _he_ got his memories back! All of the things they did together… their adventures on Duelist Kingdom where he first realized there was another version of him, the Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle… their troubles with Malik and the spirit of the Millennium Ring, Marik… even when they weren't involved in things that threatened their lives, they had so much fun. But now… now it was gone like smoke on a summer breeze. Life seemed painfully boring without _him_. He just couldn't say the words on his lips those last few moments when they were together… Not when _he _was so happy… Sure, he put on a brave face when _he_ left, smiled and tried to look happy. Inside, he was dying as _he_ walked through the doorway, a thumbs up _his_ last message. _His_ way of saying good bye. The very thought of it made Yugi's heart ache.

So it wouldn't surprise him if he was seeing things, searching for things where there was nothing to see. After all, what he saw was just a person walking around the corner. Yes, the hair style was similar to _his_. That should not be so strange. It was only a year since he retired from the dueling circuit. He wasn't exactly forgotten, yet. He knew a lot of his fans copied his hair style. That's all it was. A fan. He kept telling himself that so he wouldn't go crazy.

There was no way it could be _him_. _He_ was gone to the afterlife. It was just too painful to even consider. _He _could not come back from the afterlife. No matter how much Yugi wished it could happen. The Gods held the power to grant many things, but he doubted they would allow for one of their most precious to come back to this earth after everything happened. Besides… Yugi couldn't destroy the peace his partner felt when he realized he was finally going to get his eternal rest. How could Yugi even think of destroying that?

Sighing, he pushed the painful feelings away and walked into the game shop, smiling at the aged face that stood behind the counter. No matter how painful it was for him on this day, coming home always made him happy. For years it was the only place that meant safety and love. His Grandpa looked up as Yugi walked in and grinned, "Yugi! Welcome home. How was school?"

"Same as ever now, Grandpa," Yugi chirped as he walked through the shop and swung his back pack onto the floor behind the counter. The was a bright, albeit a tad forced, smile on his lips as he watched his grandfather unpack a new game that was just sent to them. He rested his elbows on the glass display case as he asked, "How was the shop today? Did we get a lot of customers?"

"Same as ever now, Yugi," Grandpa chirped back at him, causing the both of them to burst out laughing. It was a small joke they began to share with each other shortly after _he_ left them. Things were always changing when _he_ was around, but now… the most exciting thing to happen were the little kids that came in asking for his autograph. He winked at Yugi as he said, "Lots of little ones came in for Duel Monster cards now that they heard the King of Games lives here."

"Please, Grandpa," Yugi said with a slight wince. That title brought back too many memories for his liking. It always meant _him _more than anything else did, save the Millennium Puzzle. Well, perhaps Egypt too, but it still brought back quite a few memories about their time together. He slid away from the counter as he said in a weary voice, "I haven't been that since _he_ left. I'm just Yugi now."

"You will always be the King of Games to them, Yugi," he replied, his face serious. This wasn't the first time they were having this conversation. Nor, did he suspect, would it be the last time that they talked about this. Ever since _he _left, Yugi refused to have anything to do with dueling. He knew that if _he _knew what his partner was doing, disappointment would be the first thing that would come to mind. He rested his hands on his hips as he said, "No matter if _he_ is or isn't here."

Yugi sighed and reached down to grab his back pack. This was a topic of conversation that he wasn't ready to handle. He knew one day he would have to talk about it, but for now he was more than happy to just not talk about it. He suddenly felt way too old for his age and he rubbed at his eyes wearily as he murmured, "I think I'm going to go take a nap, Grandpa. If you need me, holler for me."

"I will, Yugi," Grandpa said in a gentle voice. His pale violet eyes were sad as he watched Yugi turn and go into the house. Napping was one of the things he started doing recently. The closer it came to the anniversary of _his _leaving, Yugi seemed to draw more and more into himself and that worried him. He almost wondered, between the two of them, which one truly died that day…

His attention was distracted by a customer coming in the store and he greeted them warmly and cheerfully as Yugi made his way through the shop door to their apartment. He climbed the stairs up to their home and to his bedroom. Perhaps a good nap would make him feel better, he decided. His dreams weren't always as peaceful as he wished, but it was better than feeling the constant ache when he was awake. At least when he was a sleep he didn't have to think about _him_.

Tossing his back pack down onto the floor of his bedroom, he flopped down onto the bed face first. Burying his head into his pillow, he groaned softly as his thoughts once again turned to _him_. Would he never be able to live his life without thinking about him at least once every few minutes? Turning just a little so he could breathe, he whispered to the empty room, "Why can't I forget you…?"

His eyes fell shut and slowly his breathing evened out. His rest wasn't quite undisturbed, but the dreams would be forgotten when he woke up, happier than when he fell asleep. But for now he slept, unaware of the world around him dreaming of times much happier than they were now.

The afternoon sun slipped behind a cloud and the shadows in the room darkened. Long black tendrils materialized out of nowhere and a figure stepped out of them. It walked across the room, footsteps soundless as it approached Yugi's sleeping form. It stopped at the edge of the bed and gazed down at him, eyes glittering in the dim light. A pale hand reached down and brushed back a lock of blonde hair from his face as it whispered to the room, it's voice a soft baritone, "Oh, Yugi… you will never forget. I won't let you. _He_ wanted me to simply watch over you, but I'm not content with that. Soon, Yugi. Soon you will be mine. Unlike _him_ I will never let you go. You are _mine_."

The days passed slowly and Yugi almost thought he could believe that it really was a fan that he saw. Everything seemed normal. Or so he thought, anyway. He was a bit happier now that that day was past and it didn't quite hurt so much. Something felt like it changed… he couldn't place what it was, but like the strange things that were happening before, something was off. Not in a bad way, he decided… just weird.

He hung out with his friends after school, laughing and having a good time whenever his Grandpa didn't need him in the shop. He was enjoying life without the thread of dying hanging over his head at every moment. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy the adventures they went on when he still had the puzzle, but life was much easier this way. His heart, while feeling a little empty, was still happy and he liked that. He was content.

Today was like every other day. He, Joey, and Tea, (the rest of the gang was forced to stay at the school for cleaning duty) went to the arcade to play a few games before going home. As always, Yugi managed to win a lot of the games they played. In the back of his mind, he could feel this twisted sense of triumph, but it was so subtle that he was almost sure he imagined it.

But he wasn't quite sure about that.

He waved good bye to Joey and Tea as he left the arcade to head back to the game shop. It wasn't very late in the afternoon and there were lots of people walking about getting shopping done and working. Deciding to take a short cut through an alleyway that ran near the game shop, he hummed to himself as he walked. He felt completely safe knowing that people were passing by both sides of the alleyway and he could see everything there was to see. He smiled as he remembered something Joey did at the arcade and laughed softly under his breath. Joey could be so funny sometimes…

"Well… what do we have here?"

He barely had time to register the words before someone was pinning him up against the wall roughly. The air was knocked out of his lungs and he looked up into bloodshot brown eyes. The man's breath smelled heavily of alcohol and Yugi scrunched up his nose as he turned his head to the side. For the moment, he fought against the urge to panic. It was daylight. He could yell and gain someone's attention if he couldn't get out of this himself. He tried to push at the drunk as he said, "Let me go."

"What a pretty little thing you are…" the drunk said as he turned his head and sniffed up Yugi's neck. He was too far gone to hear Yugi's requests, the alcohol and drugs flowing through his system impairing his ability to think straight. Yugi went rigid in fright and pushed harder against the man. Flashbacks of before he met _him_ flashed through his mind, memories of being hunted by Ushio and other less friendly people. At least Ushio only wanted to beat him up… He bit his tongue and fought back the urge to whimper when the man dragged his tongue up his skin. He started pounding on the man's chest with his fists, hoping to force him to back away, but all that did was cause the man to pin his hands above his head. The drunk slurred a little as he said, "No fighting… now..."

Yugi opened his mouth to scream when the man clamped a hand over it, stifling any noises he might have made as he kissed his way down his skin. Yugi's body recoiled in disgust and he started to kick with his legs, trying hard to get away. His eyes scrunched closed, terror and revulsion coursing through him. This wasn't supposed to happen… He was stronger than this. _He_ taught him to be stronger than this. To fight when he had to. This couldn't be happening…

His fear grew with each passing second and he began to flail even harder. His screams were muffled by the man's hand and he thrashed his head trying hard to free his mouth so he could scream. He wished for someone to see them, to hear what was happening and help him. For someone to save him… He was so far into his fear of what was happening to realize when his mind screamed out.

"_YAMI!_"

Without warning, the man's weight disappeared from on top of him and he slumped to the ground. Trembling, he heard sounds of fighting, but he wasn't sure if he dared to open his eyes. What if he did only to see his attacker win against whoever he was fighting? His fear made him think irrationally and he curled up as he tried hard to block out the sound of the scuffling going on. He was too afraid to think of what would happen if the drunk won… He knew he should run now while there was a chance. If only he could get his body to obey his commands of opening his eyes and making his legs move… A few moments later silence reigned in the alleyway, the only sounds coming from outside of the alleyway.

Slowly, he slit his eyes opened and gazed around him to where the scuffling came from. A sharp gasp left his lips at the sight before him. He knew someone fought the drunk off, rescuing him from what he knew would've been a very bad ordeal for him. But this… _this_ was impossible. His trembling grew worse as he gazed with wide amethyst eyes at the sight before him.

Crimson eyes gazed in disgust at the drunk below him. His pale hands used a handkerchief found on the man to wipe the blood off. Oh, the drunk wasn't dead. Just a little bloody and bruised. He made sure of that so he'd remember what happened when he finally sobered up a little. _If _he sobered up, that was. Tossing the dirty handkerchief down onto the ground, he sneered in a silky baritone voice rich with loathing, "How disgusting."

"Atem…" a soft, sweet voice whispered in shock and confusion. Cool crimson turned and gazed into frightened, but confused eyes. They remained there for several heartbeats just gazing at each other. Amethyst wide with a mix of emotions, while his crimson were blank of everything but lingering anger. The air around the two was frozen, as if waiting for the right moment to move… a moment which came with the blink of mystified amethyst.

Golden hair mixed with ebony and red stirred in the breeze, making it all too real that this was no figment of Yugi's imagination. The figure in front of him was _real_. Logic tried to argue that it was impossible, but reality slapped logic upside the head and told it to shut up. He watched as the figure turned slowly and approached him confidently, but unhurried, knowing instinctively that Yugi was too shocked to run. He stopped just a couple of feet from Yugi and bent down a little, holding out a pale, tapered hand to him.

Yugi hesitated a moment, thinking this was surely some kind of hoax. It just had to be something out of his imagination and the moment he put his hand in the others... He was shaken when slightly chilled but most certainly _real_ fingers wrapped around his outstretched hand. The hand he never realized he lifted. The figure before him helped him stand up and he smirked slowly and tilted his head, murmuring quietly before disappearing in a haze of shadows, "Not quite, Yugi. Not quite."

He stared at the spot for quite a while, unsure if he saw what he really thought he saw. It seemed completely impossible. _He_ was gone from this world, so how…? And yet, how could he not believe it? The drunk was lying there, still unconscious and bleeding. That was real. So that meant… Yugi wrapped his arms around himself as he trembled. He stumbled out of the alleyway feeling cold despite the hot summer sun. It felt like it took forever, but he finally made it back to the game shop. His eyes were still wide with confusion and fear as he leaned against the wall of the shop. Staring blankly at the ground, he finally whispered, "It can't be… it just can't be…"

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><p>Don't forget to tell me what you think!<p>

Jaa!


	2. Chapter 2

I couldn't stop writing so here's chapter 2 to go along with it. It gets much more interesting in this one.

As usual, I do NOT own Yugioh!

Enjoy!

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><p>Love of the Dark<p>

Chapter 2

"_Come with me… feel the need… you're mine tonight…" Dangerzone – Vanilla Ninja_

Yugi sat on his bed a few days later, his knees drawn up against his chest with his arms wrapped around them. He was staring at his blanket with confusion, but his blanket was not what was on his mind. No, he was replaying what happened that day in the alleyway. Every time he thought about it, his heart beat faster and he trembled, not entirely from fear either. Yes, there was fear there. Fear that this was all in his imagination and that he was going crazy. Anticipation also made him tremble. He wanted, no needed, _longed_ to see the other. To feel the other's gaze on him and have those long, elegant hands touch him again.

Oh, if this was his imagination, he thought, he was going to be the first to lock himself up in an insane asylum. His mind doubted what he saw that day. But his heart fully believed in what he saw. How could it not? The proof was right there in front of him. He _felt_ the touch of his hand against his own when he helped him up. That was not his imagination! With a groan, he slid off the bed and rubbed his hand through his hair with a groan of aggravation. He was thinking about this way too much. He dropped his head a little as he said, "I don't know _what_ to believe anymore."

"Believe your heart," a smooth, low voice murmured from behind him. He whirled around, his breath catching in his throat at the sight on his bed. It was _him_. The one who saved him just days before. His heart leaped in his chest as it beat wildly. Crimson eyes watched him closely with open amusement lingering in their depths as the man spoke, "It knows I'm real. It's just that mind of yours. Of course, just a short time ago, it too was more open than most to things so I'm confused as to why you can't accept this."

Yugi opened and closed his mouth a couple of times as he stared at the figure. He rubbed his eyes just to make sure he wasn't seeing things. As he opened them again, he swallowed thickly as he murmured, "You're supposed to be in the afterlife. I watched you walk through the doors myself. _You_ are not supposed to be here."

The figure smirked at Yugi as he sat up on his elbow. Crooking a finger at Yugi, he motioned for him to come closer to the bed. Yugi hesitated for a moment. What would happen if he went closer to the creature before him? Well, not so much a creature as a mysterious and confusing human, but still. Swallowing softly, he took one step closer… and then another… until he was within reach of the bed. He paused at the edge of the bed, gazing uncertainly down at the one lying there. Pale fingers reached out and snatched his wrist; the skin against his own was warm this time as he was yanked down onto the bed. He landed with a yelp, blinking rapidly as he found himself on his back staring up into intense crimson.

Pale fingers wrapped around his wrists and pinned them above his head as the other straddled his waist and gazed down at him. A small smirk graced his lips as he murmured, "_He_ is in the afterlife, little Yugi. _I_ am not _him_. You remember my name, Yugi. The one you said often before you helped him find his own. _You_ gave me my name, don't you recall? When you first met me, what was it that you called me? Think, Yugi. Remember."

Yugi stared up into his eyes feeling even more confused than before. If he was not _him_, then… He took in sharp slanted eyes, black lashes framing swirling crimson that almost seemed to beg him to remember. Gold strands contrasted sharply with ebony and blood red, a red he didn't remember _him_ having when he left… _his_ hair was a mix of red and purple. This hair was pure red. His fingers almost itched to bury themselves in those locks. He may have if it weren't for the fact that his wrists were pinned. With a sharp clarity, memories flooded into his mind and his jaw dropped open. He opened and closed it several times before quietly whispering, "Yami?"

"Very good. You do remember me," Yami said as he sat up a little and smirked down at Yugi. He switched both of Yugi's hands to one of his own and let the other lazily drift down over the smaller one's cheek as he spoke, "There for a moment I thought you forgot all about me and only remembered _him_. You see, Yugi. He and I are not the same person. We are two different people."

"B-But how is that possible," Yugi stammered out. Unconsciously, he leaned his head into the touch, enjoying the warmth of his fingers despite his mind being in complete tangles trying to figure out how this was even possible. Perhaps he really _did_ go off the deep end from loneliness. He frowned heavily as he said, "I helped him find his memories. You would think I would know if there were two of you walking around using my body."

Yami chuckled softly as he traced his finger over Yugi's lips. They looked so very kissable… but that could wait. Smirking a little, he said, "That's true enough. You certainly would've noticed that had there been two of us at the time to notice. You see, I was "born" when _he_ said his name. The Gods weren't going to let him into the afterlife with the lingering darkness clinging to him the way it was. So I was born, taking all of the darkness that was him and becoming my own person. Everything that I am, every little bit of darkness inside of me was what he felt. What he wanted to say, do, and feel but wouldn't let himself. I truly live up to the name you chose for me."

"That doesn't explain why I couldn't feel you," Yugi said as he blushed darkly at the feel of Yami's finger tracing his lips. This was much more intimate than anything he ever experienced before and he suddenly felt more self conscious than ever before. Ever since _he_ left, Yugi never planned on being in any such position as this. His heart went with _him_ to the afterlife… or so he thought.

"That's because, sweet little Yugi," he replied softly as he watched that blush spread across Yugi's cheeks. He smirked at how adorable and tempting it made the smaller one look and he wondered if he could make him blush elsewhere… Purring a little to himself, he continued, "I never was a part of _you_. When the Gods gave all of _his_ darkness to _me_, I was given my own body and identity here in this time. What they didn't expect was the fact that I would master control over the shadows, despite _him_ banishing them from this world. Oh, they aren't completely gone. After all, light cannot exist without darkness. Zorc may be gone, but the shadows will always be needed to balance the light now that that balance has been restored. And this world will always need someone to control those two entities. _I_ control the dark, hence my name. That would make you, little Yugi, the wielder of light."

"But that's impossible!" Yugi exclaimed with a shake of his head. Atem banished the shadows from this world. There was no way they could come back. His mind refused to believe that they could still be in this world, let alone be controlled by the creature on top of him at that moment. If they still existed in this world, then everything that Atem did before he left for the afterlife was worthless! He glared at Yami as he said, "Atem banished them from this realm. It's impossible for them to come back. And how do you know I'm supposed to control the light anyway?"

"Impossible, hmm?" Yami's eyes took on a darker, more threatening look and Yugi instinctively pressed into the bed as much as he could. He didn't mean to make the other angry… He remembered why it was that people feared this being. Even when he was part of Atem, this side, this darkness showed frequently back then and Yugi remembered quite clearly why Yami was someone to be wary of. Yami slowly withdrew his hand from Yugi's face and held it up between them. He looked straight into Yugi's eyes as he called the shadows to him, the power within him flaring as black and purple tendrils seeped out of his hand and danced along his skin. The shadows sang for him, dancing and caressing his skin, so happy to see him as he gazed down into shocked amethyst. He moved his hand close to Yugi's face as he murmured softly, "Ki puur. Li ax pyann'x pyaor."

The language was completely foreign to Yugi. He wasn't even sure if it was a language that originated from this planet to begin with… He gasped softly as the shadows tentively reached out and caressed against his skin. It felt… strange. On one hand it almost felt painful, like ice being pressed against his skin. It hurt, but at the same time it felt nice. Almost as if it were a hot day and the icy feeling a refreshing contrast to the heat. He wasn't sure if he liked the feeling of the shadows touching him, but the shadows went into a tizzy when he leaned into them just a little. Somewhere in his mind he knew they were happy that he did not shy from his touch. He gazed up into softened crimson, the color having softened shortly after the tizzy the shadows went into as he whispered, "This should be impossible…"

"When has anything ever been impossible when it came to us, Yugi?" Yami said in a serious, but quiet tone. He turned his focus to the shadows and quietly called them back to him. With a soft command in the same language that he said before, he ordered the shadows to disperse. Yugi got the impression that they pouted at him, but did as told when Yami glared at them a little. Once they were gone, the atmosphere seemed to lighten just a little bit and he rested his hand on the bed next to Yugi as he continued, "And how do I know that you control the light? You are the other half to our, to _my_ soul. Darkness _cannot_ exist without light. It has been this way since the beginning of time. He knew this when he…"

Yugi frowned softly. He still didn't believe Yami's claims of him being the wielder of light. Why should he? To date he never shown any sort of power of his own. Yes, he knew Atem had power to do things, but he never thought he held any kind of so called power. He thought it was all due to the Millennium Puzzle. Yes, he now knew that this creature above him contained power of his own, but he just couldn't believe he himself held the power of light within him without any sort of proof. He focused on the last words Yami said as he said carefully, "When he what? What did Atem do, Yami?"

Yami didn't say anything for several moments as he looked down at Yugi. He looked deep into Yugi's eyes, searching for something not even he was sure of. He wasn't certain if Yugi was ready to hear the truth, but he knew that ultimately he would tell him. He would deny his treasured light nothing, even if it meant potentially destroying their relationship or himself. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he said, "Atem did not want to leave you alone. He feared that if he did, you would revert to before he left you. You became a very strong person after solving the puzzle and he feared that would disappear. So he cast a very ancient, very dark spell believing that no matter the outcome of your duel, he would get to stay."

"But he didn't get to stay. He left and left me all alone," Yugi said, his eyes falling downward, a sadness filling his eyes as he thought about how Atem left him. True, he was happy that the other go home… in a strange sense of the word. But it felt like there was a hole in his chest whenever he thought about the other and how he left.

Gentle fingers touched his chin and lifted his face back up. He stared into gentle eyes as Yami cupped his cheek and brushed his thumb over his skin. He hated to see the sadness in those beautiful amethyst eyes and at that moment, he hated Atem for putting it there. The thought occurred to him that while Atem put that sadness there, it was a chance for him to take that sadness away. To replace it with happiness and love. His light was _everything_ to him. Yugi's happiness was most important. He smiled a little as he said, "Hey, what am I? Chopped liver?"

"You're too alive to be chopped liver," Yugi said with a small giggle. He really couldn't imagine Yami being chopped liver. He was much too real to be that. It was funny. Just a few minutes before his mind was protesting, saying he was imagining things. Now he knew beyond a doubt that Yami was real. He frowned in confusion as he said, "If the spell was designed to keep him here, why isn't he?"

"He found the spell deep inside the Millennium Puzzle. It was written on one of the walls there in hieroglyphs. Unbeknownst to Atem, the spell was no spell. It as a shadow game," Yami explained as he released Yugi's wrists and climbed off of him. He sat down on the bed next to him and gazed toward the wall as he remembered very clearly what happened that fateful day in his mind. His voice was soft as he said, "It pit him against the thing he feared most. And he lost."

"It was you. He lost against you," Yugi guessed as he sat up a little, rubbing the feeling back into his wrists. He gazed at the look in Yami's eyes and felt a stab of sympathy. Yami was a part of Atem and he feared him. He couldn't imagine what it was like, being feared by the being you were part of. How could one live with that knowledge? Live knowing every day for the rest of their lives that the being they were part of rejected them so forcefully…

"Yes," Yami whispered as he shook his head and looked at Yugi. He saw the sympathy in his eyes and his own grew cold. He didn't want sympathy. It hurt to think about, but _he_ was the one chosen to stay with Yugi. _Not_ Atem. _Him._ His voice was slightly cold as he said, "He lost and I got to stay and do what he wanted. Look after you and take care of you. Make sure you'd stay safe and not revert to the very thing he was afraid of."

"I don't need to be taken care of," Yugi said with a frown. The coldness in Yami's eyes and voice bothered him. It made him… angry. Here he was trying to understand and Yami was closing up on him. Keeping Yugi at a distance and he found it upsetting that for all his claims of wanting to take care of Yugi, Yami was pushing him away.

"Yes, because withdrawing from life slowly like you have been is not reverting to your old self, now is it?" Yami drawled. He fought to keep the growl from his voice as he spoke. How dare Yugi deny him of the reason why he was given a life for! He existed to take care of his light. His entire being revolved around making sure Yugi was well taken care of.

"It's called mourning the loss of someone very precious," Yugi snapped at him. He slid off the bed and turned his back on Yami, crossing his arms as he did so. He glared at the carpet in front of him. Yami knew nothing. He didn't know what it was like to lose someone that meant the world to him. He had no idea what Yugi went through when Atem left.

"A year is too long to mourn someone," Yami said as he got off the bed and glared at Yugi's back. He wasn't mad so much at what he said, but the fact that his light turned his back on him. That angered him like nothing else and he clenched his fists, resisting the urge to go over and spin Yugi around. To demand that he never do that again.

"You know nothing!" Yugi exclaimed as he whirled around and glared at Yami. He couldn't fathom the strength of the bond he and Atem shared. They shared the same body for several years! Their bond was stronger than anything he ever knew. Yami would _never_ understand the kind of bond he had with the other. He seethed as he spoke, "You're not him. You'll never understand the ache I felt!"

Yami straightened up at that, a mask falling over his face. The words pierced straight to his heart and he fought to keep the emotion off of his face. Yugi underestimated him. Just because he was born after Atem said his name did not mean he knew nothing of the bond the two had. He crossed his arms as he sneered, "You're right, I'm _not_ him. I'd rather die before I became your precious Pharaoh."

With that, he disappeared in a wave of shadows, leaving Yugi standing there feeling stunned and angry. He felt angry, furious that Yami could react the way he did. Yami was part of Atem at one point. How could he say what he did? He had not known what Yugi went through! And to say he would rather die than become Atem… Yugi felt his heart break a little. Just as the chance to have part of Atem with him came up… it was destroyed before he could even consider it. He threw himself onto his bed and pressed his face firmly into his pillow to muffle his tears. He hated the world and the Gods at that moment. Hadn't he been through enough? Why did they insist on torturing him even more like this… Just why?

Yugi sighed the next morning as he made his way downstairs. Sleep brought no comfort to him and he was exhausted from the haunting dreams that plagued him when he could sleep. He padded into the kitchen and waved at his Grandpa as he opened the refrigerator to get some orange juice out to go with breakfast. He just shut the door when his Grandpa spoke, "Good morning, Yugi. I received a phone call this morning. Care to guess who it was from?"

"Professor Hawkins?" Yugi asked as he sat the orange juice down on the table and padded over to the cupboard. He grunted and frowned when he was forced to stand up on his tip toes to reach the glasses. He hated being so short some days… it was more of a nuisance than anything else. If only he were a little bit taller like…. Abruptly he shook the thought from his head and stretched a little more to reach the glasses. He would _not_ think about him.

"No, the Professor is still on that expedition to South America," Grandpa said as he slid some fresh cooked bacon out of the pan onto a plate. He placed a few more slices of bacon in the pan before turning around and wiping his hands on a towel sitting on the counter. He smiled warmly at his grandson as he spoke, "Ishizu and Malik called me. Apparently they just arrived in town and called to see how you were doing. Malik said he would stop by later to hang out with you and Ishizu invited you to the museum to check out the exhibit they brought along with them."

"Really?" Yugi said, immediately curious. It wasn't so much the exhibit, although that did catch his interest. No, it was Ishizu. If anyone could understand and help him figure out the situation with Yami, it would be her. She would know how to figure out if his darker counterpart was telling the truth or if he was lying just to get Yugi to trust him.

"Yep. Now eat up. You're still a growing boy," Grandpa said as he set a few plates of food on the table. He chuckled when Yugi whined at him and turned back around to the stove to finish cooking. There seemed to be something different about his grandson, but he couldn't quite figure out what. It was a subtle difference, but he knew that Yugi would tell him eventually what was going on. He always did.

Yugi bolted down his food as quickly as he could without choking. It was a Saturday and he knew he could make it to the museum with plenty of time to discuss this with Ishizu. Providing she wasn't busy with the exhibit… he didn't want to interrupt her if she was. But he really needed someone to talk to about what was going on. His friends… well, he wasn't sure if any of them would understand. Yes, they knew of Atem and knew he shared Yugi's body, but they never really understood the bond the two had. Ishizu may be the only one besides Ryou and Malik to understand what it was like…

He quickly slipped his shoes on and waved good bye to his Grandpa, who stood there with a confused look on his face. He knew Yugi would be excited to see Malik and Ishizu, but he didn't think he'd be _that_ excited. He shrugged his aging shoulders and went back to eating his own breakfast at a much slower pace as he chuckled softly to himself, "Kids these days. Always in a hurry."

Yugi ran as quickly as he could to the museum. A part of him thought he could feel Yami following after him, but whenever he turned around to look, there was no one there. No one that he could see, anyway. He knew that Yami could easily disappear into the shadows after the night before. He knew he should've felt frightened by the fact that Yami was following him like he was… but his heart couldn't help but betray him and feel happy at the thought of the other keeping an eye on him. He mentally cursed at his heart for being so happy when his mind knew he should be more cautious. This Yami… he was not Atem. There was no saying how he would react to things.

Yugi padded up the steps of the museum and slipped inside. It was still early in the morning, so there weren't a lot of people around quite yet. He told the guard at the desk that Ishizu was expecting him and sighed when the guard didn't believe him. How was he going to see Ishizu now if the guard wasn't going to let him?

"Yugi!" a feminine voice called out to him. He turned to see the very person he wanted to talk to approaching from one of the side wings. He smiled wide as he watched her. Ishizu hadn't changed a lot from the last time he saw her. She was still wearing the same long flowing white robe as the last time he saw her. Obviously he knew that she owned several of them, but they all looked similar. She still held the same proud demeanor as she did when they were together. She would never change, he thought.

"Ishizu. It's so wonderful to see you," he said when she was finally within normal speaking range. He shook the hand she held out to him, smiling happily at finally seeing an old friend again. Ishizu reminded him a lot of some of the better times he had with Atem. He turned his head to the guard as he said, "I told you Ishizu was expecting me."

The guard tried to stammer his apologies, but Ishizu simply waved him off. She rested her hand on Yugi's shoulder as she led him away from the guard through the museum. He expected to be taken to the exhibit, but was surprised when she led him to her office instead as she asked, "While I am thrilled to see you, Yugi, I get the feeling this isn't quite the social call it seems."

"Even without the Millennium Necklace, you still manage to know things, don't you?" Yugi asked as he stepped into the office after her. She motioned for him to sit down and he nodded his head in thanks. Sighing softly, he ran his hand through multi-colored locks as he said, "Unfortunately, you would be right. This isn't quite a social call. Something's happened and I think you may be able to help me."

"I will do my best," she promised as she sat down behind her desk. She folded her hands together as she waved for him to explain. Yugi launched into the story, telling her everything that happened to him so far. She openly showed the shock and trouble on her face once he told her what Yami told him. Shaking her head softly, she said, "I have never heard of this, Yugi, but I trust that what you say is true. You have never been one to lie to me. I will have to do some research into this. I think I may be able to find out just what happened and perhaps find a solution to rid you of this problem."

His heart leaped in his chest in fear at the thought of losing Yami, even though his mind told him it would probably be best. He fought to get his fear under control. He just got back a part of the one he loved… and Ishizu wanted to get rid of him? That wasn't quite what he wanted… he just wanted answers to _how_ this could happen…

The atmosphere in the room darkened and he knew without even looking that Yami was there. Pale arms slid around his neck and he felt his body relax against his will. His eyes fluttered shut as Yami spoke in a quiet hiss, "You will never be able to get rid of me, woman. I am as much a part of him as he is me. I will always exist. Always."

"This boy has been through so much pain already. Why can't you just leave him alone? I will do what is right and if that means destroying you…" Ishizu spoke as she stood up, a glare on her face. She never got to finish her words because Yami let loose a growl and the shadows responded. They surged toward her, intent on taking her life before she could take their master's.

"Yami no!" Yugi screamed as his eyes flew open and he yanked himself out of Yami's arms. A light burst in the room and everyone shielded their eyes. As it died down a little, Yugi was surprised to see a bubble of light wrapping itself around him and Ishizu, forcing the shadows to retreat back to their master. He turned around to look at Yami and felt part of his heart break at the look on his face.

Yami stood there, the shadows lapping at his feet as he looked at Yugi in betrayal. Finally his light used the power he knew lay within in… but he felt betrayed that it was used _against_ him. He took a step back, anger and pain in his eyes as he said, "Why, Yugi? Why do you fight against me? I only want to protect you, keep you safe… Why do you reject me?"

* * *

><p>Oh boy... poor Yami. Things never go the way they're supposed to, huh?<p>

Let me know what you think!

Jaa!


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